Ellen DeGeneres is doing ‘great’ and will continue on with her show, according to wife Portia de Rossi
Portia de Rossi (L) and Ellen DeGeneres watch the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys warm up before the game. (Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)
Ellen DeGeneres is doing “great” and will continue to work on her show, according to her wife Portia de Rossi.
De Rossi was asked about the ongoing controversy surrounding DeGeneres’ talkshow while out walking her dogs by Page Six.
DeGeneres’ long-running talk show has been plagued by allegations of on-set racism and bullying, while DeGeneres herself has been accused of “turning a blind eye” to rampant sexual misconduct by senior level staff.
Earlier this month, it was reported she was considering calling it quits on The Ellen DeGeneres Show – but her wife says she is not currently planning on throwing in the towel.
When quizzed by Page Six, de Rossi insisted that DeGeneres is doing “great”.
When asked if DeGeneres is planning to keek working on her show, the Arrested Development star replied: “Yes, she is.”
Staff working on The Ellen DeGeneres Show have alleged that racism and bullying are pervasive on set.
DeGeneres has seen her reputation torn to shreds in recent weeks and months as former staff members and past guests have spoken out about their experiences working with the star.
Earlier this year, a viral Twitter thread encouraged people to share their stories about DeGeneres being “one of the meanest people alive”.
The controversy intensified last month when BuzzFeed published a report that painted a damning picture of alleged racism and intimidation on the show.
DeGeneres, 62, is said to have fired people for attending family funerals or taking medical leave, while producers joked that they’d mix up two Black employees because they had the same hairstyle.
One Black woman alleged that one of the show’s main writers said they only know the names of white employees, and people just “awkwardly laughed it off” rather than confronting it.
Others claimed that direct managers instructed lower-ranking employees not to speak to Ellen if they saw her around the office.
One staffer was reportedly ordered to take down a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for medical costs not covered by the show’s insurance.
Overall, the former staff blamed senior managers and producers for the toxicity, but stressed that as it’s DeGeneres’ name on the brand “she really needs to take more responsibility”.
“I think the executive producers surround her and tell her, ‘Things are going great, everybody’s happy,'” one staff member suggested. “And she just believes that, but it’s her responsibility to go beyond that.”
DeGeneres apologised to staff and the show is being investigated by WarnerMedia.
The show’s producers said they were “heartbroken and sorry” upon hearing the allegations, and DeGeneres later issued her own apology to staff.
In the letter, US Weekly reported, DeGeneres said: “On day one of our show, I told everyone in our first meeting that The Ellen DeGeneres Show would be a place of happiness – no one would ever raise their voice, and everyone would be treated with respect.
“Obviously, something changed, and I am disappointed to learn that this has not been the case. And for that, I am sorry. Anyone who knows me knows it’s the opposite of what I believe and what I hoped for our show.”
DeGeneres also said that she often “relied on others to do their jobs as they knew I’d want them done. Cleary some didn’t.”
Late last month, it was reported that WarnerMedia had launched an investigation into the show’s working environment following allegations from former and current staff.
